<strong>Musical mystery:</strong> Hans Öqvist bought a violin from a Swedish thrift store and later discovered it had once belonged to a man called Hakon Lundström. Lundström composed a melody set to a poem by Swedish author August Strindberg. This melody was arranged in 2008 by musician Jan Alm, and is sampled in this illustration.
Musical mystery: Hans Öqvist bought a violin from a Swedish thrift store and later discovered it had once belonged to a man called Hakon Lundström. Lundström composed a melody set to a poem by Swedish author August Strindberg. This melody was arranged in 2008 by musician Jan Alm, and is sampled in this illustration.
Leanza Abucayan/CNN
<strong>Solving the mystery: </strong>Öqvist, pictured here in 2021 with the violin, used Reddit to help decipher some Cyrillic inscriptions on the instrument.
Solving the mystery: Öqvist, pictured here in 2021 with the violin, used Reddit to help decipher some Cyrillic inscriptions on the instrument.
Annette Öqvist
<strong>History uncovered: </strong>Öqvist figured out the violin had once belonged to Hakon Lundström -- and his name was etched on the violin. Lundström lived in St. Petersburg and Uppsala as a young man. Here he is pictured in the 1880s.
History uncovered: Öqvist figured out the violin had once belonged to Hakon Lundström -- and his name was etched on the violin. Lundström lived in St. Petersburg and Uppsala as a young man. Here he is pictured in the 1880s.
Courtesy Bernt Nielsen
<strong>Online connection: </strong>Öqvist connected with Lundström's grandson and great granddaughter online and told them of his discovery. He plans to reunite the instrument with them when the pandemic allows.
Online connection: Öqvist connected with Lundström's grandson and great granddaughter online and told them of his discovery. He plans to reunite the instrument with them when the pandemic allows.
Annette Öqvist
<strong>Power of coincidence:</strong> Lundström's grandson is really excited to meet Hans Öqvist and share stories of Lundström, who is pictured here as an older man. "When my grandfather first [...] played the violin, he wouldn't have thought this will make it possible for two people in Sweden in 140 years to meet," Bernt Nielsen tells CNN Travel.
Power of coincidence: Lundström's grandson is really excited to meet Hans Öqvist and share stories of Lundström, who is pictured here as an older man. "When my grandfather first [...] played the violin, he wouldn't have thought this will make it possible for two people in Sweden in 140 years to meet," Bernt Nielsen tells CNN Travel.
Courtesy Bernt Nielsen